The best skincare fridges that'll keep your products cool and effective
Our tried and tested guide to fashionable and functional skincare fridges that are really worth buying
Ready to hop on the skincare fridges bandwagon? Our edit highlights top-tier options with practical features, unique colorways, and other perks for your beloved beauty heroes.
Whether you believe the fanfare or not, skincare fridges have caused a viral stampede, with curated 'shelfies' and TikTok compilations featuring these chilled-out devices across the internet. Cool factor aside, the hype for these adorable mini chillers stems from what they have to offer. Skincare fridges are spacious for storing and organizing products, serving as a solution against clutter. More notably, chilling your skincare products may preserve the integrity and efficacy of their formulations.
Still, mini-fridges and skincare chillers aren't all cut from the same cloth. We've rounded up our favorites for every kind of user, taking size, temperature, and noise into account.
Key features to look out for in skincare fridges
Before taking the financial plunge, it's important to consider these factors when shopping for the best skincare fridge:
- Size: Invest in a skincare fridge that's deep enough to hold your favorite beauty products. A four-liter fridge can fit six 12-ounce cans, an ideal space for serums and slimmer bottles. If you want a larger option, make sure it's not too difficult to carry or move.
- Temperature: Skincare fridges work the same as mini portable fridges, so expect options to span within the 35ºF-50ºF range. The sweet spot is somewhere in the middle. Anything below 35ºF could freeze or negatively impact your skincare products.
- Noise: A loud skincare fridge isn't just annoying, if you keep it in your bedroom it can also affect your sleep and therefore quality of life. Look out for options that release around 25dB-30dB of sound, an incredibly hushed range.
The best skincare fridges as chosen by our experts
1. Cooluli Mini Fridge Electric Cooler and Warmer
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The Cooluli Mini Fridge offers plenty of space for your skincare, from your best eye cream to ice globes for the face. And yet, it's conveniently lightweight, portable, and compact for tight corners. The Cooluli Mini Fridge leverages what the brand calls EcoMax Technology, a unique cooling system that's built into every Cooluli thermo-electric unit. With practicality in mind, it's fully operated by an efficient semiconductor, which conserves energy and produces low-to-no noise.
Whereas most options have an internal, fluctuating temperature of 48°F, Cooluli fridges maintain a crisp, cool 35°F when powered on. Albeit a minor detail, a cooler fridge will extend the lifespan, efficacy, and integrity of your favorite products without freezing and rendering them useless. Still, it's important to note that super cold climates will more than likely alter this product's consistency, making it much more dense and difficult to spread. For seamless organization, the Cooluli Mini Fridge includes a removable inner shelf and container basket, granting more storage options if and when necessary. Very useful if you hoard skincare.
2. NET-A-PORTER The Beauty Fridge
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Meet the ultra-luxe skincare fridge you won’t find elsewhere, curated by super high fashion retailer, Net-A-Porter. Boasting a modern, all-black color scheme, The Beauty Fridge houses skincare goodies and tools with two removable shelves for organization, along with extra storage space on the door.
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Moreover, it operates at 40˚-60˚F, offering an adjustable temperature range for your products. Together, these features promote extended shelf life and increased product absorption. What’s better than that? We'll tell you what's better, how jealous this skincare fridge will make everyone who sees it. Up there with the most beautiful options on our list, this is no appliance eyesore, it looks beautiful and chic and would complement any decor scheme. We'd expect no less from NAP.
3. Koolatron 6 Liter Beauty Portable Personal Mini Fridge
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After a mini-fridge that doubles up as your best makeup mirror? Say hello to this high-tech option from Koolatron. Featuring a mirrored door with a built-in dimmable LED light, this fridge is ideal for keeping your products cool while also touching up your makeup throughout the day. Our top tip? Keep this beauty nearby, on your desk or bathroom countertop.
Inside you’ll find a removable shelf that's handy for when you want to fit in more products, as well as a slim door basket that's great for storing sheet masks. Powered by eco-friendly thermoelectric technology, this chic contraption will keep items cool to 32°F (18°C) below room temperature.
4. MONCOOK Mini Fridge
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Another aesthetically pleasing skincare fridge option, this time from MonCook. Available in pastel pink, white, gray, and black, this sleek refrigerator has a tempered glass front, two removable shelves, and built-in door storage. The perfect size for all your skincare essentials, this lightweight number features a top handle making it great to take with you on the go too.
As well as cooling, this skincare fridge offers a warming function (reaching 60°C), which could be clever if you want to gently warm up another product (maybe one of the best body oils). Simply turn your fridge off after cooling, and wait until it reaches room temperature, before switching over to the warm setting. Clever, huh?
5. StylPro Beauty Fridge
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This is one of the most stylish skincare fridges we tried, with sleek rose gold accents for a premium feel. It's easy to organize products, with a removable divider shelf and door pockets, so there's plenty of space despite the slightly smaller size - and it holds a lot more than you might think at first glance. This starter skincare fridge makes an ideal gift as its smaller size means it won't feel too cumbersome for someone who is new to the concept of skincare fridges.
The fridge cools effectively without ever getting too cold, which could freeze and spoil products. And this is another fridge that offers a warming function, so you can warm up your favorite body oils before application. Try it to warm your hand or face towels to add a luxurious spa-like touch to your skincare routine.
6. Cristal Mini Fridge
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If you’re on the hunt for a practical gift for your family, consider your search over (even dad can get in on the action with his skincare for dry skin). This nifty portable fridge is compatible with car charging points for when you're on the go and holds up to eight drinks cans, which roughly translates to 15 beauty buys in one spot.
This mini fridge isn't specifically designed with beauty in mind, but the functionality is still largely the same and the majority of products on our list double up as a nifty portable fridge for food and drinks well as a skincare fridge. Additionally, it offers a range of temperatures, spanning from 5 to 40°C / 41º - 104ºF for personalized cooling. So, it’s well suited for active ingredients and other sensitive formulations.
7. FaceTory Portable Coral Beauty Fridge
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If your beauty collection is ever-growing, opt for FaceTory’s Portable Coral Beauty Fridge: a glossy, pastel-hued darling that’s impressively roomy, but not too unwieldy. Tall and sleek in stature, this skincare fridge is over 11 inches deep with adjustable shelving; and includes a narrow side basket for face masks, mini sunscreen mists, and other pocket-sized delicacies.
Temperature-wise, Facetory’s Beauty Fridge self-adjusts and hinges on the outside climate. This intuitive feature keeps products consistently cool and helps maintain the longevity and integrity of their formulations. What’s more, it allows for temperature-sensitive skincare products, like your best vitamin C serum, to thrive. Editor’s Note: Oil- and water-based substances with different chemical compositions separate as they warm in extreme heat.
8. AstroAI Mini Fridge
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The AstroAI Mini Fridge is an ideal travel companion, topped with a secure handle that guarantees easy carry. Given its large size and adjustable parts, this skincare fridge is capable of bundling all your essentials in one place – with plenty of room leftover.
Compared to similar iterations, the AstroAI Mini includes two AC/D adapter plugs for standard wall outlets and cigarette lighters in vehicles: an especially convenient feature for those regularly in transit. Upon closer inspection, you’ll also find that it emits 25dB of sound – a volume equivalent to a soft whisper. So, if you plan to snooze while your products chill, go ahead and count sheep in peace. A sustainable option, the AstroAI Mini Fridge does not contain Freon, odorless gas, and key refrigerant known to deplete the ozone layer.
9. Cooluli Infinity 12-Liter Beauty Mini Fridge
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The Cooluli Infinity Beauty Mini Fridge is a useful investment, though pricey compared to its fellow contenders.
This top-rated fridge cools down products quickly, featuring the same cooling tech included in every Cooluli model. It also features dual voltage capability and other distinctive features, like a transparent mirror door, for example. Still, it embodies the kind of no-frills simplicity and practicality that evokes wistful nostalgia in non-digital natives. Case in point: The fridge operates with a simple switch and maintains a consistent temperature on its own.
Additionally, the Cooluli Infinity Beauty Fridge brims with shelving, door-side containers, and slender drawers for hard-to-fit beauty items.
10. The Apollo Box Cosmetic Mini Fridge
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The Apollo Mini Fridge upholds a temperature-controlled environment for your beauty favs to thrive and maintain their efficacy (think your best drugstore eye creams and more). Resembling a prototypical lunchbox, this fridge has antimicrobial properties, featuring silver-ion technology that suppresses and kills bacteria.
Along with this thoughtful perk, it includes clear lighting, one-button door operation, and durable feet that stay planted in place. Sure, it’s a sizable investment, but all the finer things in life come at a cost and we think this is worth the spend.
11. Personal Chiller LED Lighted Mini Fridge
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The Personal Chiller LED Mini Fridge provides customizable space for storing a variety of cosmetics and tools, with a two-position removable shelf and an inside door storage rack. Economical and ergonomic, it operates with an easy-to-use on/off switch, which lights up the mirrored glass door. Long over are the days of blending mishaps, foundation mismatches, and makeup blunders. Plus, shelling out wads of cash for similar, if not inferior, options.
This skincare fridge streamlines the perks of a small and large fridge in one. Its 6-liter capacity is vast and practical for tall tubes and bottles, but not excessively large and inconvenient for tight crannies. Not surprisingly, it's seamless and simple to control the temperature settings. The cold setting cools to 40°F/4° C or 32°F/18°C below ambient room temperature, while the warm setting maintains 131°F/55°C. Other underrated perks include AC/DC power for home and mobile use.
12. Vanity Planet Fria Skincare Fridge
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Vanity Planet, as a brand, is a leading authority in the sustainable beauty space, which is an important quality to consider in the age of unmitigated climate change. As a favorite eco-friendly beauty option, the Vanity Planet Fria fridge leverages thoughtful design features worthy of recognition: a clear window display, two removable shelves to customize product spacing, and accessible temperature settings to help preserve the efficacy and quality of preservative-free ingredients.
With adjustable shelving, you can place tall serums, wide creams, and beauty tools if you wish. What's more, it's robust shape and clean lines sit nicely on bathroom countertops, vanities, and desks.
13. Chefman Mini Portable Eraser Board Personal Fridge
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Bid farewell to post-it notes, loose papers, and pens: Chefman's Mini Fridge includes a convenient dry-erase board, where you can outline a daily list of to-dos, sans the leftover mess.
Portable, compact, and sleek, this skincare fridge includes a nifty handle, a seamless on/off power switch, and vast depth capacity. The switch enables users to either cool or warm products to their preference. The Chefman fridge is Freon-free and features advanced safety technology, which boasts durability and caliber performance. Not to mention, it comes with plugs suitable for standard home outlets and 12V car chargers. A win-win scenario.
14. The Beauty Spy
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In a sea of sterile-looking skincare appliances, The Beauty Spy draws inspiration from bold-hued vintage and retro aesthetics akin to the iconic 1950s Northstar fridge. This skincare fridge features a portable design, which comes with a suitable handle for easy transportation. Plus, it's made without refrigerants and Freon.
Additionally, The Beauty Spy is virtually silent, which is great if you live with roommates. Or, if your bedroom is your only storage option. Included are cute stickers: a whimsical surprise we didn't expect, but certainly aren't lamenting over. Beauty enthusiasts will come to appreciate its flexible temperature settings, spanning from 46° to 55°F. According to dermatologists, this range is ideal for chilling, not freezing, your liquid products. Consider your best skincare products safe and sound.
15. Revolve Luxe Skincare Fridge
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For anyone who has a lot of beauty products in their routines, this is a gamechanger with ample space for all shapes and sizes - holding a huge 12 liters. This model is a little more expensive than other designs, but you will get a lot more space than other skincare fridges, with two shelves on the back of the door, as well as shelves within the main body of the fridge.
What's nice about this model is that it's a designated beauty fridge, so there's no confusion on whether this is the place for your roommate to store their booze or snacks instead. The inner shelves are specifically designed to accommodate your serums, moisturizers and masks.
Are skincare fridges worth it?
If you want a glowing complexion, chilled skincare products will do the trick. Cold temperatures promote vasoconstriction, a process that causes blood vessels to shrink and depuff areas where fluid may build up. Ultimately, this will help minimize dark under-eye bags, inflammation, and redness. When popped in a fridge, water-based skincare products, like masks and toners, deliver a cooling effect, which also may relieve dull and sunburned skin.
Another reason to invest in a skincare fridge - extreme heat may negatively impact formulations, particularly with creams and salves. Over time, heat separates ingredients limiting products' lifespan and effectiveness. Skincare fridges, by function, prevent this outcome as they keep products out of direct sunlight.
"Many skincare products benefit from being kept in the fridge. Specifically, natural products and those that contain few preservatives," says dermatologist Dr Elif Benar. "The cold helps ingredients stay potent for longer – especially antioxidants, growth factors and peptides – as well as extending their shelf life. When a skincare label instructs you to keep your product in a “cool, dark place - a skincare fridge instantly ticks both boxes.
"The idea is that it helps to keep unstable ingredients like retinol, benzoyl peroxide and vitamin C (which break down when exposed to light or heat), as cool – and therefore stable – as possible.'' Nonetheless, dermatologists regularly explore this trend through a clinical lens, and some skeptics contend that it's nothing more than a marketing gimmick. They refer to the standard protocol of stability-testing as evidence, in which experts assess how a product reacts at room temperature. Still, we'd argue if you're a skincare aficionado then it could be worth the investment, for the added skincare benefits and, of course, the social media clout.
Products to keep in your skincare fridge
- Eye creams: The fragile under-eye area warrants major tender loving care; and chilling your best eye creams will up the ante in de-puffing, hydrating, and soothing. As always, consider your eye cream's consistency and formula. Serum-based eye creams with active ingredients tend to be lighter in consistency and therefore, are best suited for the skincare fridge. Gels are just as effective in a skincare fridge, too.
- Sheet masks: When chilled, the best face masks impart a cooling sensation that feels extra-nourishing and luxurious on the complexion. As a result, they'll go the extra mile in alleviating inflamed and irritated skin.
- Skincare tools: Think jade facial rollers, gua sha stones, and facial cooling globes, all of which help you learn how to get rid of eye bags. Pop them in your skincare fridge, and you'll enjoy greater soothing benefits from cooling - faster.
- Mists: Skin mists already deliver rich hydration sans skincare fridge. However, when you place them in one, they add a nice cooling effect and healthy glow with a spritz - ideal for warm weather and after workouts.
- Facial toners: The best facial toners are formulated to tighten pores and remove impurities from the skin. When applied cold, facial toners are even more potent at reducing redness and puffiness.
- Gel moisturizers: Unlike denser options, these moisturizers are perfect for any skincare fridge, given their lighter consistency and texture. When chilled, your moisturizer will reduce redness by constricting the small blood vessels in the face.
- Products infused with vitamin C and SPFs (particularly vitamin c serums): these skincare ingredients are more sensitive, and thus warrant proper storage and temperature maintenance. By nature of cooling down products, skincare fridges help preserve these formulations for the long haul.
- Facial serums: A great facial serum is packed with high concentrations of active nutrients, which, in order to be effective, must be preserved in optimal settings. With a skincare fridge, your facial serums will last longer and the ingredients will remain active for a longer duration of time. That being said, we suggest proceeding with caution, as some formulations will separate in cooler climates.
- Liquid Makeup: When it comes to liquid makeup, clear packaging lets sunlight through and causes the product to oxidize quicker. Cue: the skincare fridge, which will protect the color and efficacy of your favorite liquid cosmetics. Among them, your best mascara is a great option to store in a skincare fridge - when exposed to heat, it'll become a hot-bed for bacteria, hindering its integrity, longevity, and effectiveness.
Products to leave out of your skincare fridge
- Oil-based products: Such as thick moisturizers and facial oils, for example. Water and oil separate; and more often than not, an oil-based product will change slightly in formula and texture when placed in a skincare fridge. These products should be stored in room temperature areas and away from natural sunlight especially if they come in light packaging.
- Clay masks: Cool temperatures will harden clay masks. It'll take quite some time for it to soften and even so, you'll still probably need a sturdy spatula or shovel on hand.
Dominique worked as a shopping writer at Woman & Home and while with the brand she covered products, sales and deals, and market news across categories. Before joining the team, she penned stories as an editorial fellow at Insider Reviews, the affiliate commerce team at Insider Inc./Business Insider. The bespectacled NJ transplant specializes in commerce journalism, women’s lifestyle content, and hoarding makeup—much to her mother’s dismay.
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